05/31/2026
THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18
The mystery of the Nature of God
Traditional societies and religious groups throughout the world affirm a belief in God, who is supernatural and Supreme. There is also the general belief that the human mind cannot fully comprehend the mystery of God but uses the attributes of God to describe truths concerning God.
At various times in the history of Israel, unique attributes of God emerged during unique circumstances. God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush as “I am who I am” which is often equated with the well-known expression “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Another attribute in the prophecy of Isaiah presents God as Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” Similar attributes basically view God as Creator of the universe.
God’s Salvation History and relationship with His creation are wrapped in mystery. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve, were induced into believing that knowledge of God would make them equal to God. We believe that God became flesh (incarnation) to walk on earth in the person of Jesus, that Jesus suffered and died to bring eternal life to sinners, that Jesus rose from the dead and mixed with people, that professing faith in him and following his footsteps will bring eternal life, and believe in the Eucharistic Presence, all which are truly mysteries to the human mind. The phenomena of life and death, joy and pain, goodness and evil, integrity and distrust, altruism and selfishness, tolerance and jealousy, and others are incomprehensible mysteries that have concerned great minds from time immemorial.
A notable attribute or characteristic of God in Christianity is that God is a Triune God, usually explained as God is one and God is three—diverse and yet unified.
The Trinity lies at the heart and center of the Christian faith, confirming Christian recognition of a mysterious God. The Trinity, however, is one mystery that has engaged the minds of great theologians like Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas but not perfectly explained or understood.
An Anglican theologian and pastor, Erickson, mentions a dialogue with a Mormon missionary:
“So, you believe in a Triune God? One plus one plus one is three, isn’t it?” the Mormon missionary asked to which Erickson replied,
“Well, it is three, but one times one times one, what is that? Do you want to compare math tricks or talk about God?”
Erickson concludes, “The trinity is one of those mysteries that cannot be explained. It must be believed. The essence of God defies reason.”
The New Testament is replete with evidence of the Trinity. For example, in the Great Commission, Jesus commanded his apostles to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”
The Gospel reading of today speaks about the work of the Holy Spirit as assigned to him by the Father and the Son. The second reading expresses belief in the Trinity, showing the distinct tasks collaborated to give grace and hope, especially in times of hardships.
In all this, we see the Trinity as a community, characterized by a profound sense of fellowship and working amicably to complement each other. They live in an adorable and absolute relationship in eternal unity and love. Our Christian life must therefore be modeled on the inter-relationship and profound sense of unity in diversity within the Trinity. In his Priestly Prayer Jesus prays to the Father for unity and love to prevail among his followers and in the world, and to be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit in love, “As I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” Indeed, more than anything else, what the world needs today is love, unity, solidarity, compassion, and selflessness.
A parishioner shared a story with me about a father who used an airplane to explain the concept of God to his son, illustrating that God appears differently to a person based on their relationship with Him.
A father and his young son were in the backyard when the little boy turned to his father and asked, “How big is God?”
The father mulled it over but then got an idea when he saw an airplane in the sky far away. He said to his son, “Do you see that airplane in the sky?” The little boy responded that he did. The father asked, “How big do you think that airplane is?”
The little boy answered, “It’s really, really tiny!”
The father then drove his car with the son and took him to the nearby international airport, where he showed his son a 747 airplane that was on the ground. He asked his son, “How big is that airplane?”
The little boy’s eyes grew large, and he said, “It’s humongous!”
The father turned to his son and said, “When you don’t have a relationship with God, He seems very tiny and far away, but the closer you are to God, the bigger God is to you. And that, my son, is how big God is.”
“So, this week,” reflects Fr. James Martin, S.J. (2019), “perhaps take some time to meditate on the place of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in your life, and while you’re not going to ‘fit’ that mystery of the Trinity into your mind, you might find a greater place for it in your spiritual life.”
The Peace of the Lord be with you.
